BEWARE OF FAKE DEALER LOTS AND ADS

Latest News BBB Warns of Fake Dealership Sites The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is urging consumers considering an online car purchase to be extra cautious following three recent incidents involving bogus auto dealer websites, each claiming to be located in North Dakota. This scheme was first brought to light by the BBB in late 2011 - when another bogus online entity claimed to be operating an auto dealership in southern Minnesota - and it appears to be spreading. In the three most recent cases investigated by the BBB, the 'hook' used to entice customers was similar - authentic-looking used auto dealer websites featuring high-end luxury cars such as Ferraris and Bentleys, often priced thousands of dollars below typical book value. Each site claimed a physical address in North Dakota, and provided one or more North Dakota phone numbers for people to contact. Last October, a Connecticut consumer alerted the BBB to a website purporting to be 'Wieser Autos', on 7th St. S. in Fargo, N.D., (this is not to be confused with Wieser Auto Sales, a legitimate used car dealer in Wahpeton, N.D.). The BBB's investigation revealed that no such dealer was licensed in North Dakota, and that many of the website's auto listings were lifted directly from online inventories of legitimate car dealers around the country. The Fargo address the phony company claimed actually belonged to an unsuspecting business not connected with the shady website. The BBB immediately contacted the web provider hosting the bogus website, reporting its findings and urging the provider to suspend the site. The website was taken down within a few days, although the BBB subsequently learned of a victim in California who sometime in the weeks prior had wired away over $23,000 to scammers for a truck he never received. In November, the BBB received a complaint from an Illinois consumer about a website claiming to be 'Golden Motor Group' on Morrison Ave in Bismarck, N.D. The BBB once again determined that listed vehicles actually belonged to other, legitimate dealerships, and that the address listed was a rented storage locker. The BBB was again able to have that website shut down. Unfortunately, the consumer who reported the scam had already wired away $32,000 for a sports car that was never delivered. The most recent example of this scam came in February, when a consumer in Hawaii contacted the BBB about a website purporting to represent 'Nationwide Motor Center,' with an address on North 4th St. in Grand Forks, N.D. Once again, the BBB was able to establish that the dealership and its inventory were non-existent, and the web provider quickly opted to shut down the site when presented with these findings. One new 'twist' in the Grand Forks case was that the consumer first encountered 'Nationwide Motor Center' through a listing on Cars.com, a legitimate auto advertising and research site. A contact claiming to be a private individual indicated she was consigning her truck due to 'financial hardship,' and urged the consumer to contact 'Nationwide' about the purchase. The consumer cut off communication with the 'consignor,' and he alerted the BBB.